1. Field of the Invention
The invention encompasses three fields:
First: The field of heat pumps; that is, mechanical refrigeration systems which are reversible; where the heat absorbing coil can become the heat rejecting coil and simultaneously where the heat rejecting coil can become the heat absorbing coil.
Second: The field related to the gathering and utilization of radiant solar energy.
Third: The combination of first and second fields where the absorbed and retained solar energy is used to supply heat at a relatively high temperature level to the cold side of the refrigeration system so that an adequate supply of heat can be delivered to the comfort zone at minimum power cost, by virtue of having utilized available solar energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reversible refrigeration systems are well-known. Generally they employ a conditioning heat exchanger in a conditioned zone and a service heat exchanger exposed to a zone to which heat can be rejected when the conditioning heat exchanger is cooling, and from which heat can be absorbed when the conditioning heat exchanger is heating (outdoor zone). In a well-known heat pump design the service (outdoor) coil rejects its heat into ambient air of the outdoor zone during the cooling cycle and absorbs heat from the ambient air of the outdoor zone during the heating cycle. In water-side heat pumps waste heat is discharged to a water stream through a refrigerant-water heat exchanger (water-cooled condenser). During the heating cycle, heat is absorbed from that water stream. The heat depleted water discharged by the heat exchanger is generally reheated by some means or discarded, as in a once through system. During the cooling cycle, heat is rejected to the water stream, which may be discarded, although designs are known where on the cooling cycle the water is cooled for recycling by recirculation through a cooling tower, and during heating, the heat abstracted from the water is resupplied by one or more solar collectors.